1976: Apple Computer is formed on April Fools' Day, shortly after Wozniak and Jobs create a new computer circuit board in a Silicon Valley garage. The Apple I later goes on sale for US$666.66 ($803.88).
1977: Apple is incorporated by its founders and a group of venture capitalists. It unveils Apple II, the first PC to generate colour graphics.
1980: Apple goes public, raising US$110 million in one of the biggest IPOs.
1984: The Macintosh computer on sale.
1985: Jobs and CEO John Sculley clash, leading to Jobs' resignation. Wozniak also resigns.
1986: Jobs founds Next, a company making high-end machines for universities. He buys Pixar from Star Wars creator George Lucas for US$10 million.
1991: Apple and IBM announce an alliance to develop new PC microprocessors and software.
1994: Apple introduces Power Macintosh based on the PowerPC chip it developed with IBM and Motorola. Apple licenses its operating software, allowing others to clone the Mac.
1995: The first Mac clones go on sale. Microsoft releases Windows 95. Pixar's Toy Story, the first commercial computer-animated feature, hits theatres.
1996: Apple buys Next for US$430m.
1997: Steve Jobs returns to Apple as an adviser, then "de facto head" of company; CEO Gil Amelio is pushed out. Jobs ends Mac clones.
1998: Apple returns to profitability and unveils the iMac.
2000: Jobs is named CEO of Apple.
2001: The first iPod goes on sale, as do computers with OS X, the modern Mac operating system based on Next software.
2003: Apple launches the iTunes music store with 200,000 songs at 99c each.
2004: Jobs undergoes surgery for a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer.
2006: Disney buys Pixar for US$7.4 billion. Jobs becomes Disney's largest sole shareholder and much of his wealth is derived from this sale.
2007: Apple releases the iPhone.
2008: Speculation mounts that Jobs is ill.
2009: Jobs returns from medical leave in June. It is later revealed he received a liver transplant.
2010: Apple sells 15 million iPads in nine months.
January 17, 2011: In a memo to Apple employees, Jobs announces a second indefinite medical leave.
August 24, 2011: Jobs' resignation as CEO announced.
